Global costs of extreme weather events

Global costs of extreme weather events

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Description:
The loss data on great natural disasters in the last decades show a dramatic increase in catastrophe losses. A decade comparison since 1960 is shown in the table. The reasons for this development are manifold and encompass the increase in world population and the simultaneous concentration of people and values in large conurbations, the development of highly exposed regions and the high vulnerability of modern societies and technologies, and finally changes in the natural environment like global warming and the related regional effects. As the underlying factors for the observed loss trend remain unchanged, a further increase in losses from natural disasters is inevitable.

Mining in the Democratic Republic of CongoIn the DCR, thousands people earn their living from digging with bare hands and simple shovels to extract ore. They live with the constant risk of exposure to toxic and radioactive substances. Moreover they run a high ri...

By Emmanuelle Bournay, UNEP/GRID-Arendal

Industrial hot spots Tisza river basinOn 30 January 2000 a tailings dam at the Aurul Mine in Romania overflowed and released 100,000 cubic metres of effluent containing cyanide into the Tisza River. By the time the overflow was detected, the alarm raised and...

By Emmanuelle Bournay, UNEP/GRID-Arendal

Trends in natural disastersWith growing population and infrastructures the world’s exposure to natural hazards is inevitably increasing. This is particularly true as the strongest population growth is located in coastal areas (with greater exposur...

By Emmanuelle Bournay, UNEP/GRID-Arendal

Threat of bad bugsLocust invasions are a major threat to the agriculture, pasture, food security and social stability of rural populations occupying a very large area from Western Africa to Northern India. Large amounts of chemicals are b...

By Emmanuelle Bournay, UNEP/GRID-Arendal

No shelter - refugees, sanitation and slumsIn the face of any calamity we instinctively take refuge under a roof. This is little use against a chemical or nuclear accident, but for many there is no other resort. The number of people currently living in shanty tow...

By Emmanuelle Bournay, UNEP/GRID-Arendal

Fish catch and productionFishing activities have various negative impacts on marine ecosystems. The greatest cause for concern is the rapid depletion of fish population due to extensive commercial
fishing. In 2002 72% of the world’s marine fish...

By Stéphane Kluser

Early warning systemsEvery year, disasters caused by weather, climate and water-related hazards impact on communities around the world, leading to loss of human life, destruction of social and economic infrastructure and degradation of alrea...

By Emmanuelle Bournay, UNEP/GRID-Arendal

Natural and industrial disastersSome places are more prone to disaster than others. But that does it take to turn a cyclone into a disaster in one place and just a climatic event somewhere else? The main reasons are obvious enough. Economically deprive...